Summary: Blessed are those who are persecuted because of Jesus. Part 8 in the series.

As we look back on the past weeks that we have been talking about the Beatitudes,

Why does Jesus say the poor in spirit will be blessed?

How can you be considered fortunate in the midst of mourning or being meek, especially in a world that believes only the strong survive?

Why would anyone be blessed for hungering and thirsting for righteousness in a world of different appetites?

Mercy? If valued at all, it is more as an ideal than a practice, and the merciful are thought to be mushy and a pushover.

Making Peace? Real peace? Making peace can be hard, frustrating work. Try being a peacemaker; and you will soon understand what persecution is all about.

Now we come to the final Beatitude ~ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. How laughable is that? Just like all the other Beatitudes it’s upside-down and inside-out. It would be far more plausible if Jesus said, “Congratulations to those who are living pleasing and gentle lifestyle, that does not result in persecution.”

After all, the Beatitude just before this one says, “Blessed are the peacemakers...” and what kind of peacemaker are you when somehow you’re encouraging people to be less than peaceful toward YOU? It’s not natural. But as we’ve been seeing through all the Beatitudes, none of them are natural. And because they aren’t, we seem to reject these very difficult statements from Jesus.

Nobody wants to be persecuted. It doesn’t matter what the reason is, we don’t want to be persecuted, we don’t want our loved ones, our spouses, children, parents, siblings, friends, we don’t want people we care about and love to be persecuted, period, end of statement. Nobody volunteers for persecution. It’s not like a bunch of kids raising their hands to be picked for a special prize, yelling, “PICK ME! PICK ME!” If we were to ask who wants a brownie, lots of hands would shoot up, but how many of us would raise our hands when asked, “who wants to be persecuted?”

I really like the way The Living Bible translates this passage, Matthew 5:10-12 (TLB)

Happy are those who are persecuted because they are good, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. When you are reviled and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers — wonderful! Be happy about it! Be very glad for a tremendous reward awaits you up in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted too.

• Be happy because you’re persecuted.

• Be happy because you’re reviled and scorned and abused?

• Be happy because people are telling lies about you?

That’s a bit much. Finding happiness in persecution sounds like a form of masochism, the sort of attitude that leads people to stay away from you. Yet, Jesus calls this behavior . . . wonderful!

Now, before I go farther I must offer a personal caveat. I have very little firsthand experience with persecution. Most of us do not. The only time I remember receiving any persecution, because of my faith in Jesus, was when my father would not talk to me after I became a Christian; and my best friend from growing up did not want to be my friend after I had become a Christian. That’s my experience.